Pelargonium quercifolium (Sc)

RHS Plant Profile
oak-leaved geranium
oak-leaved geranium visionspictures.com

Other common names

almond geranium, village oak geranium

Synonyms

Pelargonium 'Karrooense'

Shrubs Herbaceous Perennial

A tender evergreen sub-shrub, with young stems soft and covered with fine hairs, becoming woody with age. Leaves are aromatic, deeply lobed and incised, and sticky to the touch. Clusters of lilac pink flowers with reddish-purple markings are produced in late spring and summer

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.5-1 metres

Max Spread

0.5-1 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
2–5 years
Max Spread
0.5-1 metres
Max Height
0.5-1 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Loam Sand
Moisture
Well–drained
pH
Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness
H2

Colour & Scent

Fragrance Foliage
Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Geraniaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Bushy
Genus
Pelargonium can be perennials, sub-shrubs or shrubs, sometimes succulent and mostly evergreen, with palmately lobed or pinnately divided leaves and clusters of slightly irregular, 5-petalled flowers
Name Status
Correct
Horticultural Group
Scented-leaved pelargoniums are evergreen shrubs or perennials with strongly aromatic foliage and small, single flowers in shades of pink, purple or white
Plant Range
South Africa (Cape)

How to Grow

Cultivation

May be planted outdoors in beds, baskets and containers after all risk of frost has passed; young plants may need to be hardened off first. Grow in fertile, neutral to alkaline soil in full sun, and overwinter indoors. See pelargonium cultivation for more detailed advice

Propagation

Propagate by seed or by softwood cuttings in spring or early autumn

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Patio and container plants
  • Bedding
  • Conservatory and greenhouse
  • Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Deadhead regularly. Trim back after flowering to encourage a compact habit

Pests

May be susceptible to vine weevil, glasshouse leafhopper, root mealybugs, aphids, caterpillars, thrips, fungus gnats and glasshouse whitefly

Diseases

May be susceptible to grey moulds, black leg, pelargonium rust and pelargonium viruses